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The Holy Bible

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The Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy Chapter 31

  

Joshua to Succeed Moses

1
MOSES

went and spoke these words to all Israel:  2  “I am now a hundred and twenty years old and I am no longer able to lead you. For the Lord has said to me, ‘You will not cross over the Jordan’.  3  The Lord your God Himself will cross over ahead of you; He will destroy these nations before you, and you will dispossess them. Joshua is the one who will cross over ahead of you, just as the Lord has promised.  4  The Lord will do to them as He did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, and to their land, when He destroyed them.  5  The Lord will deliver them over to you, and you will do to them all that I have commanded you.  6  Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or terrified of them, for the Lord your God is going with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.

7 Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you will go with this people into the land that the Lord has sworn to their forefathers to give them, and you will cause them to inherit it.  8  The Lord is the One who goes ahead of you. He will be with you, He will not fail you nor forsake you; do not be afraid or discouraged.”

The Reading of the Law

9 So Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who carried the Ark of the Testimony of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel.  10  Then Moses commanded them: “At the end of every seven years, at the time appointed in the year for cancelling debts, at the Feast of Tabernacles,  11  when all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God at the place He will choose, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing.  12  Assemble the people togethermen, women, and children, and the foreign residents who live in your townsso that they may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God and carefully observe all the words of this law,  13  and then their children, who have not known, will listen and learn to fear the Lord your God, as long as you live in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.”

Prediction of Israel’s Rebellion

14  The Lord said to Moses, “Behold, the day of your death is now approaching; call Joshua and present yourselves at the Tent of Meeting, so that I may commission him.” So Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves in the Tent of Meeting.

15  Then the Lord appeared at the Tent in a pillar of cloud, and the cloud stood at the entrance to the Tent.  16  The Lord said to Moses, “Behold, soon you will sleep with your fathers, and then this people will arise and prostitute themselves with the foreign gods of the land they are entering. They will forsake Me and break My covenant which I have made with them.  17  Then My anger will burn against them in that day, and I will forsake them and hide My face from them, and they will be devoured. Many evils and troubles will come upon them, so they will ask on that day, ‘Haven’t these evils come upon us because our God is not among us?’  18  And I will certainly hide My face in that day for all the evil they have done by turning to other gods.

19  “Now therefore write down this song for yourselves, and teach it to the Israelites; put it in their mouths, so that this song may be a witness for Me against the Israelites.  20  For when I bring them into the land flowing with milk and honey, which I promised on oath to their forefathers, they will eat their fill and grow fat, and then they will turn to other gods and serve them, despising Me and breaking My covenant.  21  And when many evils and troubles have come upon them, this song will testify against them as a witness, because it will not be forgotten in the mouths of their descendants. For I know what their inclination is to do, even before I bring them into the land that I swore to give them.”  22  So Moses wrote down this song the same day, and taught it to the Israelites.

23  Then the Lord commissioned Joshua son of Nun, and said, “Be strong and courageous, for you will bring the Israelites into the land that I swore to them, and I will be with you.”

24  When Moses had finished writing down on a scroll the words of this law,  25  then Moses commanded the Levites who carried the Ark of the Testimony:  26  “Take this Book of the Law and place it beside the Ark of the Testimony of the Lord your God, so that it may remain there as a witness against you.  27  For I know how rebellious and stiff-necked you are. For if while I am yet alive with you to this day, you have been rebellious against the Lord, then to how much more after my death!  28  Assemble before me all the elders of your tribes and all your officials, so that I can speak these words in their hearing and call heaven and earth to testify against them.  29  For I know that after my death you will totally corrupt yourselves, and turn aside from the way that I have commanded you. In the days to come evil will befall you, because you will do evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking Him to anger through the work of your hands.”

The Song of Moses

30  Then Moses recited the words of this song to the end, in the hearing of the whole assembly of Israel: